November 2020
The national four week lockdown sadly means our planned walks can’t go ahead in November and early December. This included last Friday’s walk, which was fully booked with a waiting list. We hope we can restart walks as quickly as possible once the current lockdown is lifted. But we will wait to make any specific plans for walks until we have details about any continuing restrictions on group walking. In the meantime, walking in twos is allowed. So, if you would like to get in touch with someone you have met on one of our walks but don’t have their contact details, let us know and we will try to link them up with you. Although we haven’t so far been able to begin our mini walks this autumn as planned we hope to look again at the idea once restrictions are reduced. We look forward to the possibility of joining with other organisations in the village to give opportunities to anyone wanting to rebuild confidence in walking, after being at home so much in recent months. This could include short walks in small groups in and around the village.
New kissing gate near Bleach Mill
If you have recently walked between Menston and Burley along Bleach Mill Lane you will have seen the newly installed kissing gate. We have left the adjacent stone step stile in place. Thanks to volunteers Paul, Simon, John, David H, Barbara and Mark for all their hard work on the project, including rebuilding the wall. We also benefited enormously from the contribution and oversight from Ed, part of the Bradford Countryside Services team. There is still some walling to complete which we hope to do soon -if weather and lockdown permit.
Proposed new footpath along the Welcome Way
Together with members of Baildon and Otley Walkers are Welcome we had a recent site meeting with Bradford Highways to look at the feasibility of a new footpath on Bingley Road near to Weecher Reservoir. This would avoid a permanently boggy section of the Welcome Way route from Burley to Baildon by creating a safe 200 metre roadside path with bollards, similar to the new path on Moor Road in Burley Woodhead. The route is also part of the Dales High Way and the Millennium Way long distance paths. Once we know more about likely costs we plan to discuss strategies for funding the project with ‘friends’ groups from both routes. Because of the specialised nature of the preparation work and the location on a busy stretch of road there is unlikely to be a role this time for a volunteer working party.
Muddy footpaths
On the subject of boggy footpaths, due to the recent heavy rain and a significant increase in walking locally, we now have a number of very muddy sections of path around Burley, especially on either side of the railway line between the two cattle arches. We will liaise with Countryside Services about how to remedy these, particularly as they are on newly created or diverted sections of path.
Walking with Wheels
Discussions with the Parish Council, the Community Trust and Bradford Council are ongoing about how best to improve accessibility in and around the village for the less mobile, including those who rely on wheels to get about. Let us know if you use a wheelchair or mobility scooter (or are family and friends) and would like to contribute your ideas and suggestions. So far we have been looking at a number of short routes out into the countryside to see where access for wheeled users could be improved.
We welcome the recent improvements by Bradford Highways to the most damaged sections of pavement along Station Road between the railway bridge and the mini-roundabout on Main Street.
New Treasurer
After six years, Bruce Moore will shortly be leaving his role asTreasurer. Fortunately he will continue as a Committee member and so still be able to contribute his vast knowledge of the local footpath network. It was Bruce who devised the majority of the routes in our 3 walking leaflets. We would like to welcome David Hawkins as our new Treasurer as well as Barbara Hawkins and Hilary Rhodes as our other new committee members.
We are looking forward to resuming our walking programme before too long and will give an update in the December newsletter.
New kissing gate near Bleach Mill
If you have recently walked between Menston and Burley along Bleach Mill Lane you will have seen the newly installed kissing gate. We have left the adjacent stone step stile in place. Thanks to volunteers Paul, Simon, John, David H, Barbara and Mark for all their hard work on the project, including rebuilding the wall. We also benefited enormously from the contribution and oversight from Ed, part of the Bradford Countryside Services team. There is still some walling to complete which we hope to do soon -if weather and lockdown permit.
Proposed new footpath along the Welcome Way
Together with members of Baildon and Otley Walkers are Welcome we had a recent site meeting with Bradford Highways to look at the feasibility of a new footpath on Bingley Road near to Weecher Reservoir. This would avoid a permanently boggy section of the Welcome Way route from Burley to Baildon by creating a safe 200 metre roadside path with bollards, similar to the new path on Moor Road in Burley Woodhead. The route is also part of the Dales High Way and the Millennium Way long distance paths. Once we know more about likely costs we plan to discuss strategies for funding the project with ‘friends’ groups from both routes. Because of the specialised nature of the preparation work and the location on a busy stretch of road there is unlikely to be a role this time for a volunteer working party.
Muddy footpaths
On the subject of boggy footpaths, due to the recent heavy rain and a significant increase in walking locally, we now have a number of very muddy sections of path around Burley, especially on either side of the railway line between the two cattle arches. We will liaise with Countryside Services about how to remedy these, particularly as they are on newly created or diverted sections of path.
Walking with Wheels
Discussions with the Parish Council, the Community Trust and Bradford Council are ongoing about how best to improve accessibility in and around the village for the less mobile, including those who rely on wheels to get about. Let us know if you use a wheelchair or mobility scooter (or are family and friends) and would like to contribute your ideas and suggestions. So far we have been looking at a number of short routes out into the countryside to see where access for wheeled users could be improved.
We welcome the recent improvements by Bradford Highways to the most damaged sections of pavement along Station Road between the railway bridge and the mini-roundabout on Main Street.
New Treasurer
After six years, Bruce Moore will shortly be leaving his role asTreasurer. Fortunately he will continue as a Committee member and so still be able to contribute his vast knowledge of the local footpath network. It was Bruce who devised the majority of the routes in our 3 walking leaflets. We would like to welcome David Hawkins as our new Treasurer as well as Barbara Hawkins and Hilary Rhodes as our other new committee members.
We are looking forward to resuming our walking programme before too long and will give an update in the December newsletter.